Monday on the Street: Government leaders and social media
Matthew Reisen | October 2How can social media benefit government officials, as far as transparency and accessibility, for the general population?
How can social media benefit government officials, as far as transparency and accessibility, for the general population?
Many people would say that being a college student is a full-time job, though there is no paycheck that comes with grades and GPAs. It’s no secret that the majority of college students these days are in debt. Now more than ever students are struggling to pay not only their tuition, course fees and supplies, but also their everyday living expenses such as food, transportation and housing.
A panel of experts conducted a review on the effectiveness of law enforcement civilian oversight, presenting their findings at the 22nd National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement conference in Albuquerque. “Police oversight has gained substantial attention. It helps to promote democratic and respectful policing,” said Joseph De Angelis, an assistant professor of criminology and sociology at the University of Idaho.
The UNM Black Alumni Chapter honored 15 Sports Hall of Fame inductees, and gave Trailblazer Awards to Attorney Raymond Hamilton and retired judge Tommy Jewell on Friday. Many of the distinguished former Lobo athletes who received awards at the ceremony went on to play football, basketball and track and field for professional teams, later becoming educators and coaches as well as making contributions in their communities.
New Mexico blew an early 21 point first-half lead in its last game against Rutgers. On Saturday, another 21 point lead was evaporating quickly, and Lobo fans had to buckle up for a bumpy ride. UNM’s defense tightened up in the second half as it has all season, allowing only 28 yards and zero points in the quarter. An interception returned for a touchdown by Austin Ocasio put the Lobos up 41-20, and the game seemed to be well in hand.
The second Black Lives Matter panel meeting of the semester, “Black Lives Matter at UNM: Campus Climate in the Age of Colorblind Politics,” is set for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the SUB Lobo A and B to discuss how to make campus more inclusive for black students and faculty. Gary Allison, a BLM panelist, said colorblind politics denies the impact of race and discrimination, suggesting issues have been solved when data in the areas of employment, housing, education and healthcare show the opposite.
Justin Vernon began his indie folk project Bon Iver in 2006, with the release of “For Emma, Forever Ago,” an album infamously created in solitude during a harsh Wisconsin winter. Since it’s release, Vernon’s debut album has become a staple in indie folk, propelling him into the limelight. Bon Iver’s latest work, “22, A Million” was released over the weekend to the anticipation of music enthusiasts globally. And to the surprise of many, this might just be the most experimental and outrageous album released all year.
Senators at last week’s Associated Students of UNM Senate meeting voted 14-6 to separate presidential and vice presidential elections from senatorial elections in a move meant to increase exposure, voter turnout and election equity. The change indicates a stark contrast for how candidates in future elections might run for the positions, as each winning presidential candidate dating back to at least 2011 has belonged to a slate — a group of candidates running together under a shared agenda — and usually, the president’s slate has generally dominated a particular election.
The first Graduate and Professional Students Association event of the semester, in partnership with the UNM Alumni Association, took place Thursday night in the SUB ballroom. Called Café GPSA, the initiative was created with the goal of guiding students through graduate school and teaching them about networking and interpersonal communication skills, and introducing them to active workers in the community who can offer their personal testimonies.
Before the night even began, a line spanning from the SUB to the duck pond was awaiting the gates to open for UNM’s Silent Lights, a silent disco held Wednesday night on Zimmerman Plaza. The event quickly reached capacity with well over 1,000 students in attendance of the rave, despite the rainy weather that came a couple hours earlier. With three DJs and an ice cream truck, the night quickly became one to remember with poi dancers, crowd surfers and a cacophony of red, green and blue lights.
It was by no means perfect, but the UNM football team held on to win its first Mountain West game of the season 48-41 against the San José State Spartans. With the win, New Mexico improved to 2-2 (1-0 MW) and 2-0 at home.
Head coach Heather Dyche said she was looking for leadership from UNM’s offense. She got more than one leader in Friday afternoon’s 3-1 victory over San Jose State. Dyche has said she thought her squad was too timid in the final third of the soccer field and said someone had to take control in the Lobo attack.
The defending champions No. 2-ranked New Mexico women’s cross country team placed fourth among 23 teams, while the youthful men’s squad placed 23rd of 25 on Friday afternoon in Notre Dame, Indiana. Although the women’s team couldn’t accomplish a three-peat — having won the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite in 2014 and 2015 — it remained competitive with solid top-five performances from Alice Wright (second place) and Calli Thackery (fifth), with times of 16:16.0 and 16:30.9, respectively, in the 5-kilometer race.
The New Mexico men’s tennis team hits the courts Friday to open the fall season, but its nationally-ranked doubles team will first head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete in the ITA All-American Championships. New head coach Ben Dunbar said he will accompany Hayden Sabatka and Bart Van Leijsen to compete in the tournament. Sabataka and Van Leijsen are the No. 15 doubles pairing in the nation, according to the ITA preseason rankings.
The UNM men’s soccer team got its first Conference USA win of the season on Friday night in a 4-1 victory over Florida International University. Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said the 1-0 loss to Kentucky on Sunday helped motivate his team to play their best against FIU (3-5-1, 1-2 C-USA). “It was a great performance tonight,” Fishbein said.
With autumn in the air, there is one big thing that comes into the minds of New Mexico sports fans: college basketball. The UNM men’s basketball team stepped back on the court on Friday afternoon for its first official practice. The Lobos finished the 2015-2016 season with a 17-15 overall record and went 10-8 in the Mountain West Conference, good for a fourth place finish.
The UNM Hospital labor coalition held an informational picket on Wednesday to demand fair raises for all UNMH workers. The coalition consists of three labor unions: District 1199 of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees, Communications Workers of America and Committee of Interns and Residents. Together, the unions represent most of the workers providing bedside care, from housekeeping to resident doctors, said Lorie MacIver, district president for 1199.
It was a perfect New Mexico evening at the Santa Fe Brewing Company’s outdoor concert space. The air was crisp, with a slight fall breeze wafting the smells of tobacco smoke and a few other distinctive aromas. An excited crowd jostled for position in front of the outdoor stage, trying not to spill their cups of craft beer. The weather was perfect, but the crowd came for the performance — and the Rhymesayers crew did not disappoint.
After a quick start, the Lobos couldn’t finish the job in a 3-2 loss to San Jose State in San Jose, California on Thursday night. It appeared things were going smoothly for New Mexico (10-6, 1-2 MW), who started the first Mountain West road match of the season with 25-21 and 26-24 wins in the first two sets. However, after intermission, the Lobos ran out of steam, and UNM dropped the next three sets.
After dropping its first two Mountain West openers at home, New Mexico Women’s Soccer is in dire need of a leader. Head coach Heather Dyche said she hopes to see someone take charge in the attacking third of the field, an area the Lobos desperately need work in.